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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22365754">When Dawn Comes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/madamesolivigant/pseuds/madamesolivigant'>madamesolivigant</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Angst, Aslan - Freeform, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friend of Narnia, Friends of Narnia, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Lucy and Caspian, Lucy/caspian - Freeform, Narnia, Peter - Freeform, Pevensie Siblings - Freeform, Returning to Narnia, Romance, edmund - Freeform, friendship and family - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 11:14:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,521</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22365754</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/madamesolivigant/pseuds/madamesolivigant</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Lucy finds herself once more in Narnia, ten years after VDT. Narnia's decade of peace is coming to an end underneath the promise of an imminent war. Lucy must help Caspian plan and ready troops to fight for Narnia's freedom and peace before a new age of darkness takes over. (book/movie verse. Think of the plot of the books with the actors of the movies)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Caspian/Lucy Pevensie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>69</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You can't leave us Lu. Don't! Stay awake! Please..."</p><p>"A-As...lan?"</p><p>"No Lucy, It's Peter and Edmund. T-T-There's been an accident, but you'll be okay. I promise, we're here Lu, we won't let anything happen so please don't leave us."</p><p>"I-I'm so tired... I'm just...I'm gonna close my eyes...just for a bit."</p><p>"No! Stay awake Lucy! Help is on the way!"</p><p>"LUCY!"</p><p>Her brothers' pleads began fading into the quiet hum of Mr. Tumnus's lullaby. She could hardly feel the pain and the wet warmth of her blood pooling around her. Peter and Edmund's faces were the only things she could see. There were tears in their eyes, though she could hardly remember the cause of it. Faintly, she recalled a moment of obliterating pain and the frantic screams of her brothers' digging her out of the rubble. The pain was beginning to fade into a slight discomfort she was barely aware of. Peter stroked her face and hair, kissing her forehead as his tears slid down his face. His mouth was forming words she couldn't understand, but she somehow knew they were for her comfort. She could feel Edmund's hands, one putting pressure on her stomach, right at the source of her discomfort, the other was holding her hand tightly.</p><p>Lucy was slowly losing her bearings on reality. She no longer felt her body, which was becoming quite apparent to her that it was on the brink of death. Her brothers' voices were mere whispers now and Narnian music increased in volume.</p><p>"I...feel so strange. Someone is calling my name." Lucy's hands went limp in Edmund's as she took her last breaths. Her green eyes bore into her brothers', pouring them with love before they too lost their twinkle of life.</p><p>"Aslan, please guide her safely..."</p><p>Caspian's head was pounding. The council meeting was replaying in his head over and over again as he tried to make sense of it all. Calormen had been invaded by a false ruler, Lord Maldigo, who was threatening war against Narnia. Caspian knew very little of Lord Maldigo, only having heard alarming rumors by Calormene refugees. Not one person had ever laid eyes on the tyrant, who presumably preferred to stay out of the public eye. His name, however, reigned terror across the lands. Rumors of his cruel and terrifying nature plagued the minds of Narnians and Calormenes alike. Caspian did not know what to think of it all. Rumors were just rumors until proven otherwise, yet as King of Narnia, he had to be prepared for the worst. Be prepared to defend his kingdom at all costs.</p><p>The day had rolled into the night and still, sleep did not come. Aggravated and stressed, Caspian slid out of bed for a walk on the beach. The halls of the newly rebuilt Cair Paravel warmed Caspian's heart at the reminder of the Pevensies. His friends, his family, and his fellow rulers. There never was a day where he did not think of them, wishing for all his might they could rule alongside him. The loneliness and the pressure of being the only King of Narnia weighed heavily on his shoulders. He longed for Peter's and Edmund's advice, Susan's gentle wisdom, and Lucy's faith that tied them all to Aslan. It had been almost 10 years since he had last seen Edmund and Lucy, during their voyage on the Dawn Treader. He had been a mere 16 then, still incredibly young and naive and feeling all but fit to rule. But with Edmund and Lucy's guidance and faith, Caspian was able to overcome his fear and step up to fill the four big shoes left by the Pevensies.</p><p>The last 10 years had been incredibly prosperous for the kingdom of Narnia. Caspian managed a decade of peace within Narnia's boundaries and with the surrounding kingdoms. Now all of his hard work, all of his victories to ensure the prosperity of his kingdom were falling apart right before his eyes. And it was all because of a name; Lord Maldigo. Whether he was real or not, the name itself, the very symbol of fear he represented, had ruined everything Caspian had worked for.</p><p>The very thought infuriated him.</p><p>The only thing that could quiet his qualms was the glistening Eastern Sea of Queen Lucy. The night breeze of summer kissed his cheeks with the breath of the ocean and he felt his stress ripple away.</p><p>A story came to his mind as he walked the length of the beach. A story Lucy had recounted of the Pevesie's Coronation.</p><p>"It was the very best day of my entire life!"</p><p>Her youthful voice sprung to his mind. It was hard to believe Lucy was a grown woman stuck in a 10-year-old body. Her mind worked like that of a child, though her wisdom was far beyond her physical age.</p><p>"I should say it was the best yet most tragic day. We became Kings and Queens of Narnia, but it was also the last I saw of Aslan during my reign. I was a mere 8 years old at the time. I know I look only ten, but I was 23 before we returned to England."</p><p>It was hard to imagine Lucy as a 23-year-old. In Caspian's mind, she would always be his younger 10-year-old sister.</p><p>"I looked everywhere for Aslan. He was always a great comfort to me, you see. I ran all around Cair Paravel looking for the great Lion and could not find him anywhere! It was until I looked over the balcony to the sea when I saw Him. He was leaving us. I tried to call out to him, to make him turn back to me, but he kept fading into the distant setting sun. Mr. Tumnus... he comforted me as we watched Him. He told me Aslan was not a tame Lion and I did not understand completely what he meant. Only that I'd see Aslan once again when I needed him the most. He was right of course. Mr. Tumnus was always right..."</p><p>Caspian's eyes took in the length of the beach where 1300 years prior, Aslan had faded underneath the sun's descent. His heart filled with love for the Great Lion, trusting in him as Lucy had when he left her side.</p><p>He began to turn back to Cair Paravel, but something in the far distance caught his eye. He squinted in the darkness, only the moonlight illuminating the beach. There was someone lying on the sand. He began jogging towards the figure but as he came closer, he broke into a run. A woman was lying on her back, blood pouring from the wound on her side.</p><p>Caspian knelt down beside her, cradling her head in his arms. Her face a sickly pale from the blood loss and her breathing was uneven as she tried to gasp for air.</p><p>"It's alright. I'm King Caspian, my Lady." He assured the young woman in his arms.</p><p>Her eyes snapped open, looking frantically from her wound to Caspian. She tried to speak but only a gurgling sound came from her throat as she coughed up blood.</p><p>"Don't try to speak!"</p><p>Caspian picked her up and broke into a run. He needed to get her back to the castle and give her some of Lucy's healing cordial. The woman's wounds were near-fatal and any second wasted would mean her imminent death.</p><p>Caspian tried not to think too much about the state he found her in as he climbed the staircase towards the Treasure Room. For one, she wore clothing foreign to this world, and his incredible deduction skills concluded she must be from the Pevensie's world.</p><p>He kicked open the door to the Treasure Room, bursting inside and towards Lucy's chest. The woman had slipped out of consciousness and Caspian feared he might be too late. He laid her down next to the chest before he began rummaging through it to find the healing cordial.</p><p>"Don't worry. A drop of this and all your ailments will be cured." He unstoppered the cordial and gently brought it to the woman's lips. Her body shook in violent shivers as she took exactly one drop.</p><p>Almost immediately, her color improved and the wound on her side began healing. He put the cordial back in its rightful place and knelt beside the women, waiting for the full effects to kick in.</p><p>After a minute, the woman's eyes fluttered open sluggishly. It took her a couple of blinks to focus on him but once she did, her eyes widened and filled with tears. She brought a weakened hand up to his face, laying it gently on his cheek. Caspian had never been more confused in his life. This woman somehow knew him.</p><p>"C-Caspian?" Her voice was a mere whisper but the intensity in which she said his name triggered a familiar feeling within him.</p><p>Just as he was about to ask her questions, her hand fell limp on her side and she fainted.</p><p>"Where did you find her again?"</p><p>"I found her lying in a pool of blood on the beach. She was almost dead when I got to her."</p><p>"I see. She should wake at any moment. Do not leave her side, King Caspian. We must interrogate her. She could be one of Lord Maldigo's spies."</p><p>Caspian rolled his eyes at his advisor, but nevertheless, agreed with him. They had to be careful and untrusting in these times, no matter how wrong it felt to Caspian. But he did feel a powerful tie to the young woman. There was something so familiar about her eyes when they bore into his. He had definitely seen eyes like that once, though he couldn't remember exactly who they belonged to.</p><p>He had instructed the maids to take care of her so when he walked into the guest room she slept in, he wasn't surprised to find her cleaned and dressed in a brand new nightgown.</p><p>Caspian pulled a chair to the side of the bed and sat for a while, contemplating and observing her. She looked incredibly familiar. Her hair had been washed from the soot and dust that adorned it when he found her, and underneath the filth, she had fiery auburn locks. Auburn hair and green eyes that conjured a hazy image he couldn't yet place.</p><p>She began to stir half an hour later. Caspian stood up immediately placing a hand on the helm of his sword in case anything went awry. He hid behind one of the bed-posts, ready to take action against her if needed. The woman yawned and rubbed her eyes childishly. It almost made Caspian smile, if they weren't in the position they were in. She didn't take immediate notice of his presence, taking in the room she was in. At first, her face seemed perplexed before realization dawned on it. Her eyes widened and her hands covered her mouth as she gasped.</p><p>"Oh, Aslan!" She cried out.</p><p>Caspian smiled at the mention of the Lion's name. Anyone exclaiming in Aslan's name was a friend to Narnia. Deeming her no longer a threat, he came out of his hiding place. The woman turned hastily towards him, eyes narrowed and observant, but once she saw his face clearly they softened and filled with tears. As she opened her mouth to speak Caspian interrupted her.</p><p>"It's nice to see you well, my Lady. You are no longer in mortal danger and safe behind the walls of Cair Paravel." He took a seat on the chair once more and awaited her reply. She furrowed her eyebrows at his statement confused before bursting out in laughter. Now Caspian was perplexed.</p><p>"Oh Caspian!" She exclaimed, placing a hand on his. "You don't know who I am, do you?"</p><p>"I- am I suppose to know who you are, My Lady?"</p><p>"Well yes actually! But I won't be angry with you dear Caspian. I was only 10 years old the last time you saw me. I am a woman now."</p><p>She waited for the words to sink in. Caspian's mind felt fuzzy and distantly, he recalled the last time he had seen her, at the edge of Aslan's country and leaving Narnia for good. Caspian's eyes softened and he felt a surge of emotions and tears rise within him.</p><p>"Lucy."</p><p>At the mention of her name, she threw herself into his chest laughing joyously. Caspian wrapped his arms tightly around her, not believing he was hearing her twinkling laugh once more. He never thought he'd hear it again, and yet here she was.</p><p>"You are so much older now, Lu. I'm sorry I didn't know it was you!" He laughed along with her, drinking in her presence in his arms. He couldn't believe this was happening, that she was here in Narnia with him.</p><p>"It's only natural that you wouldn't recognize me. I wasn't ever supposed to come back. How could you possibly think it was me." Her voice filled his ears and he thought he'd never hear anything sweeter in life.</p><p>"Oh, Lucy! I'm so happy you are here." He buried his face in her freshly washed hair holding her tightly, afraid if he let go, she might disappear. She hugged him back as fiercely and strongly, reciprocating his feelings.</p><p>"My dear Caspian, I never thought I'd see you again," She pulled away first, her eyes looking at him from head to toe. "You are so grown up! How long have we been gone?"</p><p>"Almost 10 years Lucy."</p><p>"T-That's the same for me," She gasped. "B-But how is this possible..."</p><p>And then realization dawned on both of them. Lucy's face fell as she touched her abdomen. Caspian reached for her hand, stroking it with his thumb.</p><p>"I found you on the beach, bleeding out and on the brink of death. Only a drop of your cordial healed you. What happened Lucy? Who hurt you." The last statement was filled with venom at the thought of anyone hurting his little sister.</p><p>Lucy brought a hand to her head as if trying to remember was hurting her. "I...I was at my house...writing a letter to Susan I think. There was a lot of shouting outside and I remember feeling worried because Peter and Edmund weren't back yet. They had gone to the store across town, you see. They...they went out to get bread and...and then there was a loud noise. I remember it hurt my ears."</p><p>She stopped, tears filling her eyes, "I can't-I can't remember what happened."</p><p>"It's okay. Let's just focus on the fact that you are okay and your safe. Here in Narnia."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Lucy must prove her identity.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I started this story on fanfiction.net, but I do feel there might be a wider audience for this story on here. Might continue posting on both sites depending on traffic graphs.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lucy was not used to be confined to a bedchamber all day, especially when in Narnia, but Caspian had said there were things he needed to work out before he re-introduced the Queen of Old. Left alone to her thoughts, Lucy contemplated her presence back in her dear world. She couldn't remember where she had last been in England before she had awakened in Narnia, and trying to conjure up the memory produced a sharp pain on her temple. She wondered what her brothers were doing and if they had noticed her absence. Time in Narnia did not flow the same back on Earth, and there was no way she could know if time was standing still and if and when she returned, only mere seconds might have gone by. Then again, it had been ten years for both Caspian and Lucy since they last saw each other.</p><p>She tried not to think too hard on the missing details. She wanted to enjoy her time in Narnia for she did not know how long she had. It was her dream come true to have returned but she felt she was on countdown before she'd be back to her boring and mundane existence. Lucy needed to keep faith in Aslan and trust that she was here for a good reason, though she did not know what it was exactly.</p><p>Lucy's heart fluttered as she looked out the tall window in her bedchamber. Caspian had rebuilt Cair Paravel almost exactly to its original state, and for that, she was incredibly grateful. From her view, she guessed she was on the western wing of the castle, meant for guests and friends. Down below she could see Narnians working on their everyday tasks. She sighed, leaning against the glass window, observing her people. It almost felt like she was back in the Golden Ages and her siblings were somewhere around Cair Paravel running the kingdom in their own unique ways. Lucy was almost the age she had been when she and her siblings had last ruled, and the thought that she was back here alone saddened her dearly.</p><p>Shaking away the pain, she focused on a young faun practicing sword fighting in the training grounds. He looked quite young, most likely still a child, and his technique lacked experience. He thrashed left and right with such an intent that he tripped on his hooves. Lucy giggled as she watched him throw the wooden swords and stomp the ground angrily.</p><p>She knew she wasn't supposed to leave the room, but she couldn't help it. Not when a young faun was giving up on his training. If Cair Paravel was indeed rebuilt exactly as it stood before, then Lucy knew of a secret passage not far from the western corridor she resided in. She cracked open the door, checking if anyone was around before she slipped quickly out of the room.</p><p>During her reign, Lucy and Edmund had learned every single secret passage in Cair Paravel for their benefit. At the beginning of their rule, Peter and Susan had often kept them out of war meetings as they felt that Lucy and Edmund were still too young. In defiance, both her brother and she made it a plan to find ways to sneak in without their sibling's knowledge. The very passage she was heading towards now, led directly behind the wall of the council room. She just hoped Caspian had rebuilt the castle keeping the passages intact.</p><p>Down the hallway from the bedchamber she had been in, there was a wall where before, the handle of the candlestick would trigger the wall to open. She prayed to Aslan for it to work as she pulled it down. It took a few seconds, but a low rumbling indicated the passage had been open. She smiled widely and looked around once more before entering.</p><p>The inside of the hidden hall was very different from before. For one, there were no torches to illuminate it. She guessed whoever Caspian had assigned to rebuilt it hadn't known it was meant as a secret passage. Lucy would have to find her way around in the dark. She put her hand on the stone wall tracing in it all the way down until she turned right. Up ahead she knew a narrow opening where she could listen in on council meeting without being detected. As she approached the section, the raised voices of two men arguing began echoing in the hall. Lucy hesitated, not wanting to eavesdrop, but the argument sounded serious and she wondered if it had anything to do with why she was here in Narnia.</p><p>"That is simply not possible, King Caspian. We have to interrogate her, for all we know, she could be a spy pretending to be the Queen of Old."</p><p>"It is her, Lord Gilligan. I would know her anywhere."</p><p>"Yet, you did not know who she was when you found her."</p><p>"Well yes, but it has been 10 years since I had last seen her. How would I recognize her from the 10-year-old child she was?"</p><p>"Nevertheless, we must question her."</p><p>"No. I know who she is and-"</p><p>"But, King Caspian. See reason-"</p><p>"You dare question me, Lord Gilligan? You dare disrespect your Queen?"</p><p>"No, My king. B-"</p><p>"This conversation is over, Lord Gilligan."</p><p>"Yes, My King."</p><p>She heard the receding footsteps of Caspian and Lord Gilligan leaving the room. Lucy backed away from the conference room feeling a new determination springing to life within her. She decided the young faun could wait until after she proved her innocence to Caspian's court. She ran back to down the passage and towards her bedchamber to wait for Caspian. A million different thoughts ran through her mind in warp-speed. The first thing was how she would prove she was indeed Queen Lucy of the Golde Age but that should be easy enough with a few questions... at least she hoped.</p><p>Lucy was pacing back and forth when she heard a knock on her door. "Come in."</p><p>Caspian walked in clearly frustrated. Lucy motioned towards the chair while she sat quietly on the bed, tall and regal and ready to discuss important affairs. Caspian smiled gently and took the seat, still un-used to the air of adulthood around Lucy.</p><p>They didn't say anything for a while, just looking at one another in curiosity at the time that had passed between them. Though they felt quite close to one another as they had many years before, there was still an invisible barrier between them that the years had created. Lucy, though extremely transparent in her youth, had adopted a quiet reserve that Caspian had a hard time reading. Her eyes usually contained her feelings, but as he looked upon them, he found that he was blocked from her inner thoughts.</p><p>Lucy, on the other hand, could still read Caspian like an open book. She had seen her brothers and sister in the same position for many years prior. Being the only ruler of Narnia but have weighed heavily on the young King. She was lucky she had always had the council of her siblings during her reign. Though he was only 26, his eyes showed the exhaustion and anxiety that turmoiled within him. Lucy saddened at the thought that they longer contained the childish vibrancy and sparkle that had held as they traveled on the Dawn Treader. She leaned forward and laid a comforting hand on his.</p><p>"Caspian dear, you can tell me what's wrong."</p><p>"Lucy." He said her name in a quiet breathless whisper that worried her. He covered his face with his hands in a long and tired sigh.</p><p>"Caspian." The authoritative tone made him snap his head up to look at her. Her face was gentle yet bound and determined. "Speak to me."</p><p>"I don't want to displeasure your excitement nor mine about you being here in Narnia."</p><p>"I am here for a reason Caspian, and we cannot ignore it. If I am here once more against the initial judgment of Aslan, then there must be an important reason for him changing his mind. Tell me, what ails you, young King?"</p><p>"You surprise me, Queen Lucy," He chuckled. "I always seem to forget your extensive experience, forgive me."</p><p>"There is nothing to forgive."</p><p>He gave her a watery smile before standing up and holding his hand out to her. "Alright. Come with me."</p><p>Caspian led her to his study, where dozens of maps and parchment littered his writing desk. She looked around fondly as it had once been Peter's study, but turning back to his desk she shook her head in reproach.</p><p>"You are so like my brothers. Messy."</p><p>Caspian chuckled and pulled out a parchment and map from the drawer. He spread it out on the desk, motioning Lucy to come take a look. Caspian watched her as she leaned forward to inspect the contents of the map, her face observant and full of mature seriousness. He often forgot that she had once been older than she was now, and that she and her siblings had led Narnia through a Golden Age. He made a note to never underestimate the young Queen.</p><p>"The maps are so different from my time..." She muttered to herself. She picked up the other parchment and read carefully, not saying a word for a while as she looked back and forth between it and the map.</p><p>"There have been a series of alarming rumors from Calormen. A tyrant by the name of Lord Maldigo has abducted the throne and instilled a frightening new regime on the citizens. We have had many refugees come claiming stories of horror- nothing I have ever heard of before. Well, nothing since..."</p><p>Lucy looked up from the maps noting Caspian's pause. "Since when?"</p><p>"Well since the White Witch."</p><p>"Tell me everything. Let me speak to the refugees." Lucy stated at once, resuming the role of Queen she had once been.</p><p>"I'd love to Lucy, but... because of the problems arising, my council has deemed you an enemy until proven otherwise. I'm sorry Lucy."</p><p>"Don't fret. Lead me to them. The sooner we get it sorted, the sooner we can figure out the Calormen situation."</p><p>Caspian nodded soberly, grateful for her calmness and determination. "I'll set up a council meeting at once. I would love to let you explore the castle..."</p><p>"I understand. I'll wait in my room until summoned."</p><p>Caspian smiled and led her back to the bedchamber placing a kiss on her forehead. Lucy knew it was more for his comfort than her own.</p><p>"It'll be alright."</p><p>"You haven't met Lord Gilligan yet."</p><p>"And he hasn't met me."</p><p>Caspian calmed at her statement. "Very true indeed. I'll be back for you." And with that, Caspian left Lucy to her thoughts.</p><p>Her mind raced back to the maps and parchments littered with different accounts of refugee statements. In her time, Lucy was known for her cleverness and quick rationalizations. Not as perfect as Edmund's, but she rivaled close to her brother's. Many often came to her for strategic planning when Edmund was gone fighting alongside Peter. Lucy saw hidden clues where no one else could and keyed information otherwise not correlated together. She saw the world in her own Lucy way which earned her her title and crown.</p><p>It didn't take long for her to remember a similar sorcerer during her time. One so malicious her siblings and she banished him deep in Underland under powerful enchantments no one but Aslan had the ability to break. Once she talked to the refugees she could deduct if indeed this Lord Maldigo was one and the same as the Black Knight.</p><p>An hour later Caspian returned for her and led her to the war room where eleven men met her with distrust in their eyes.</p><p>"I give you Queen Lucy The Valiant."</p><p>"Possibly..." Uttered the foul Lord Gilligan.</p><p>Lucy watched Caspian's eye twitch and his posture stiffen and so she laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.</p><p>"Rightly so. Please, Lord Gilligan, ask me anything you like, though I may say you will be disappointed for I am the Queen of Old."</p><p>Lord Gilligan narrowed his eyes and stood from his chair as the other Lords watched between the two. He paced around the table slowly, not saying a word. Lucy knew this was a tactic to intimidate. She kept a reserved smile on her face while he studied her closely.</p><p>"If you say you are Queen Lucy, then recount us the night of Aslan's sacrifice on the stone table."</p><p>"I cannot speak of such things, Lord Gilligan."</p><p>"Then you are an imposter."</p><p>"I cannot speak of such things as Aslan Himself asked my sister and me to never speak of what we witnessed that night. Of course, if you wish for me to go against Aslan's will, then I will recount it. But you will face Aslan himself and tell him why you've made me speak of what cannot be spoken."</p><p>She said this with a kind smile and Caspian knew then that any man willing to go up against Lucy would surely fail. Lord Gilligan was not pleased with her reply, yet found it hard to argue with her statement. While he stammered over what to say next, Lord Kieran took the opportunity to speak to Lucy.</p><p>"Although I, unlike my fellow advisor, do indeed believe you are our Queen of Old, we must follow protocol to ensure the are who you claim to be. The safety of Narnia depends on it."</p><p>"Of course, Lord Kieran. I very well know the laws, my siblings and I wrote most, and thus I submit to this questioning without complaint."</p><p>"Very well. If you please," Lord Kieran motioned for Lucy to take a seat. Caspian reacting quickly, pulled out the chair for her to sit but chose to remain standing beside her, should anything go awry.</p><p>"We would very much be grateful if you could recount us the day you...discovered Narnia. It is a tale known among all, but the details are only known by few. If your answer proves satisfactory, then we will present you once more as Queen Lucy The Valiant."</p><p>And thus, Lucy began to tell her tale. Those present during her oration were bestowed a magnificent gift, the honor of hearing the events that transpired thousands of years before them, and by none other than the Queen of Narnia herself. The tale was long and hours went by yet none moved a muscle, so enchanted by the story-teller. Caspian learned much more from Lucy than he ever had before. He had never bothered to ask any of the Pevensie's of their discovery of Narnia. He knew some details as most Narnians but hearing the truth come from someone who had lived it was a different experience entirely.</p><p>By the end of her tale, no one questioned her identity. Even Lord Gilligan fumbled and stumbled trying to apologize for his initial mistrust. Lucy being Lucy only took his hands in hers and promised that there was nothing to forgive, for he was only trying to protect the kingdom.</p><p>Most of the advisors insisted on a ball to be hosted for the Queen's return. However, after much debate, Lucy refused profusely for there were many great matters to deal with. A ball would only be a distraction. The court, however, still demanded something to be done to honor her return so Lucy settled for a small morning festival. It was her favorite way of socializing with both the courts and all the citizens of Narnia. It also felt more intimate rather than a stuffy old ball. The festival was to be held the following week after a quick round of preparations were made. Lucy was very excited to meet her fellow Narnians and to introduce some of the old Narnian traditions long forgotten.</p><p>After a few short conversations with the advisors, Caspian led her through the halls of the rebuilt castle. She would stop every so often to marble over certain architecture or rooms where she would recall her times with her siblings. Caspian did not ay a word, content with watching her eyes light up as she recounted the memories of her life with her siblings. Sometimes, a sad melancholic look would pass over her face as her eyes looked fondly at around the castle. Caspian would reach forward to give her hand a squeeze in comfort which she would gladly return. Then the look would pass and her beautiful smile and youthful cheer would replace her sadness.</p><p>"I have something I want to show you." Caspian took her hand and led her down a corridor with tall marble pillars extending far into the ceiling. The ceiling itself was plastered with beautiful paintings Lucy almost mistook for the paintings in the Sistine Chapel. But as lucy looked closer, her hand rose to her mouth, open in wonder and surprise.</p><p>"I…it's us! It's our story!"</p><p>Caspian chuckled as Lucy bounced around the corridor pointing out the paintings and the story of each. When she came across the land post and the handsome faun, she paused.</p><p>"You've captured him quite wonderfully. He looks just as he did that day in the Lantern Waste." A tear spilled from her eyes but she let it fall. Lucy wasn't one to cut herself short from feeling emotions. She was a small lioness and her spirit couldn't contain the love in her heart. She let the tears fall, though a sob never escaped her throat. She let them fall BECAUSE they were her way of mourning his loss and show the love she harbors and will always have for him. Caspian did not interrupt nor made an effort to comfort her. He knew she could take care of herself and he knew this moment was between her and the faun. His presence wouldn't be objected but nevertheless, he did not belong in her lost time.</p><p>For a while, Lucy laid on the floor staring up at the ceiling in silence. Her expression held nostalgia in the pits of her brown eyes, but the twinkle in them never faltered. He stood standing, leaning against a pillar at the entrance of the long corridor. He would wait there patiently until she was ready. There were two last things she needed to see.</p>
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